I'm Always Alright
by Books In the Blood
Summary: Rose has learned a lot in her travels with the Doctor, including how to pretend that she's always fine, even when she isn't. When Rose becomes ill, will she admit to the Doctor that she is sick and let him take care of her or will she let her illness progress and pretend she's alright?
1. Chapter 1

Rose watched as the Doctor glided across the dance floor, a gaggle of preteen girls dancing and giggling around him. Rose gave a small, weak smile at the sight; the Doctor commanded such attention wherever he went, without even trying. Rose watched as the Doctor began to dance, or rather wiggle around on the dance floor as the girls around him giggled and pushed each other out of the way to get closer to him. He was, not surprisingly, drawing the attention of the adults around him as well. The room was filled with laughter, dancing, and feasting as the Aboron people celebrated a life they didn't think they would still be living, but had been given back to them, thanks to the Doctor.

They had come across Aboron in their travels; the TARDIS had practically thrown them at the planet. They had been planning on visiting the tropics on Earth for a bit of downtime, but it had seemed the TARDIS had other plans. A massive, abandoned spacecraft had gotten caught in their gravitational pull and was going to come crashing down on the planet within hours when the Doctor had shown up. The Aborons, a people who closely resembled humans except for small blue dots on their skin that looked like blue freckles, knew what was happening, but lacking the ability of flight or space travel, had no way of stopping it. The Doctor had used the strength of the TARDIS to pull the spacecraft from the planet's gravitational pull and far away from them. They had, of course, been eternally grateful to the Doctor. While he wouldn't accept any of the lavish gifts that they tried to give him, he did accept the invite to a celebration in his honor. He had been dancing and laughing the entire night; Rose was glad to see such delight in his eyes. He didn't often give himself over to such relaxing and gratitude.

Normally, Rose would have been right alongside the Doctor in the festivities. That's what she wished she was doing right now; instead, she sitting on the sidelines. Rose sat at the table she and the Doctor had had dinner at, where she had sat all night, unmoving. Her arms were wrapped around her stomach as terrible cramps shot through her stomach and lower belly. Waves of nausea came across her and Rose sucked air through her mouth in a desperate attempt to keep from vomiting. Every move that she made threatened to send her stomach over the edge and she remained frozen to keep her stomach contents down. Rose's head swam and she laid her head down when the Doctor was otherwise occupied and not watching her. She didn't want her troubled stomach to ruin his rare fun.

Rose hadn't been feeling like her normal self all week. Her stomach had ached often and she hadn't eaten much the entire week; she found that anytime that she did eat, she was rushing to the bathroom not long after. When running around with the Doctor, that wasn't much of an option so she had been keeping away from food to keep the troubling symptoms at bay. Each morning she woke up more and more tired and though she knew what she really needed was some rest, she had dragged herself out of bed each morning to run after their next adventure. It was only the flu, and she didn't want the Doctor needlessly worrying about her. After a week, she had hoped that the virus had almost run its course by now. But right now, it seemed to getting worse than ever.

Rose had eaten a small amount at dinner; she had desperately not wanted to eat anything but she didn't want to be rude so she had forced some food down her throat. It was now seriously making a threat to be seen again. Rose lifted her head and watched the Doctor who was still dancing. She hoped that he would soon be ready to leave, but the broad smile on his face as he twirled around the floor with a little girl on his hip, told Rose that he was nowhere close to getting ready to leave. Rose's head was burning and felt heavy, almost as if she couldn't hold it up any longer. She didn't want to bail on the Doctor and the Aborons party, but she knew she wasn't going to be able to maintain the appearance of health much longer. She decided she would tell the Doctor she was tired and go back to the TARDIS and get some much needed sleep. He was so distracted by everyone around him that he wasn't likely to notice her distress anyway; she hoped that he didn't.

Rose stood up slowly from the table and began to make her way to the Doctor. She felt herself swaying as she walked, the room spinning as her stomach churned dangerously. She tried to make herself keep going, but when she was halfway to the Doctor, her stomach reached the point of refusing to be ignored. She could feel bile rising in her throat as her stomach lurched. Rose thought for one, horrible second that she was going to end up vomiting in the middle of the floor. With her last small inch of energy left, Rose launched herself for the door. She had just gotten out of the door and into the courtyard when her stomach finally couldn't manage anymore. She fell to her knees by a bush as her stomach violently spilled everything it had in it. Rose was desperately relived that no one was around to see her pitifully throwing up in the bushes. Just when she had thought that she was done, her stomach would lurch again. After what seemed like forever, her stomach stilled, the muscles in her stomach aching. Her eyes were tearing from the bodily shock and she was shivering uncontrollably. She felt so bad she was just barely resisting the urge to cry.

Rose had made the decision to simply go back to the TARDIS without telling the Doctor when she suddenly heard his voice behind her. "Rose? Oh...are you alright?"

Rose felt mortified, kneeling on the ground next to a pile of vomit, tears pulling at her eyes as she heard the Doctor behind her. Despite the obvious evidence that she was not alright, Rose said, "Yeah...yeah...I'm okay. My stomach was just a little upset" It was a gross understatement.

Rose looked up to see the Doctor looking down at her with concern. He knelt beside her and Rose resisted the urge to cling to him and bury her face in his pinstriped suit. She wanted comfort from him and yet she didn't want him to worry. "I saw you run out of the room...you looked upset so I ran after you" he said, looking in Rose's eyes. He touched her cheek and Rose lost almost all of her resolve to not crumple into him. His hand was so cool against her burning skin. "You're so pale"

Rose shook her head. " 'M fine...really" Rose lied. She didn't him worrying about her simply because she had a stomach bug. "I just...need some sleep is all. I'm gonna go back to the TARDIS, alright?"

The Doctor nodded. "Of course...yes. Sleep is good...especially for you humans. You seem to need so much of it" He gave her a smile but it quickly faded as he sensed more was going on. "Rose...you look..." he paused. The word he was looking for was terrible, horrible, awful but he didn't say it, for which she was glad. " Are you really sure you're okay?"

Rose felt like she might simply pass out any minuet; she was just so tired. "I really just need some sleep" she lied again. The Doctor, it seemed, finally bought it.

"Alright...well...I'll walk you back at least" He said as he nodded. He grabbed Rose's arm and helped her up. Rose stumbled a little as she stood and she was glad that the Doctor didn't seem to notice. They walked back to the TARDIS and Rose resisted the urge to lean on him. She felt so weak and the walk seemed an insurmountable task; the only thing that kept her going was the thought that she would soon be able to collapse into the warmth and comfort of her bed. Along with the weakness of the walk, her stomach was also now protesting again. She felt nausea rise up again, threatening to overtake her as she saw the wonderful blue doors of the TARDIS.

The Doctor directed Rose towards her room, but Rose could tell with the battle going on in her belly that she wasn't going to make it. "Alright, bedtime for Rose Tyler" the Doctor said with a small grin as he looked her, not aware how close he was to being covered in vomit. Somehow, Rose managed to keep calm.

"Uh...actually I need to use the restroom first" Rose said calmly, feeling sweat bead on her forehead as she fought to keep it down until they got there. She pulled the Doctor in the direction of the bathroom. She felt relief when she saw the door to the bathroom and broke free of the Doctor's hold, launching herself toward the bathroom. She barely made it to the toilet in time, bile burning her throat as it came back up forcefully. She gripped the toilet as her stomach cramped painfully; she had had some awful sicknesses before but she couldn't remember ever feeling quite this awful before. Her throat was on fire from the acid of her stomach and Rose pulled herself up to the sink. She turned the water on and used her hand to scoop some water into her mouth. It felt wonderfully cool and soothing as it trickled down her throat.

"Uh...Rose?" The Doctor called out from behind the door, uncertain. "you, uh...need anything?"

No doubt he had heard her becoming sick; he sounded uncomfortable, as if he wanted to help but didn't know if Rose wanted his help. "No...uh, I'm okay" Rose said as she drank some more water.

There was a pause. "Well...uh...okay, then. I suppose I should go say good night to the Aborons, thank them for the warm reception and all. I'll be back in a little while, alright?" he called out.

Suddenly, Rose didn't want him to leave. She had been struggling to not let him know she was sick so he wouldn't worry about her, but now that he was actually buying her cover, she wanted to change it. She didn't really want the Doctor to see her in such a state of complete sickness but she knew she didn't want to be alone right now. Everything hurt and she just wanted to curl up against him weakly and soak in his warmth; right now she might just be sick enough to show her weakness for him. And right now, she was honestly a little afraid she might not be able to make it to her room alone, weak as she was.

Rose opened her mouth to tell him to stay when an undeniable cramp gripped her stomach; apparently the water had been too much. She lunged for the toilet again, holding onto it weakly as her body rejected the small amount of water she had drank. Her body felt so drained that she briefly thought about simply crumpling onto the floor and going to sleep but she was desperate to keep the Doctor from leaving.

She pulled herself up as quickly as she could and stumbled toward the door, her head desperately spinning. She threw the door open, but as she had expected, he was already gone. Feeling completely defeated, Rose leaned against the door and gave an involuntary whimper. Fatigue beginning to overtake her, Rose began to walk down the hallway, thinking of nothing but falling into bed. Her steps were slow and heavy, and the more she walked, the more her vision began to cloud. Blackness started at the edges of her vision and began to take over more and more. She was almost to her bedroom when she felt herself begin to lose the battle to stay awake; the remaining light in her vision blackened as she lost herself to unconsciousness finally.

**Rose is not doing so good! Might her Doctor be able to help her? Please review and let me know what you think so far!**


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks to all who have already reviewed and followed. I'm loving the response I'm getting from you all :)_

The Doctor walked back to the TARDIS, hands thrust into his pockets as he meandered slowly in the cool night air. He had left Rose longer than he planned to (precisely 1 hour, 34 minutes and 20 seconds) but it seemed that each time he had tried to get away, someone else had come along to thank and say good bye. He hadn't felt right about leaving Rose; she had said that she was fine but he didn't quite believe her. He had found her vomiting profusely and she had barely seemed able to walk. But Rose had insisted that she was okay so he left it. Perhaps her stomach just couldn't take the alien cuisine they'd had earlier. Human digestive systems were rather feeble and often didn't take to alien food. Rose seemed to handle it well but even she had had stomach issues a few times over their travels.

The Doctor walked into the TARDIS and immediately felt a wave of concern come over him from his ship. The Doctor's stomach twisted as he began to worry about the immediate and overwhelming concern she directed at him, knowing there was only one reason for her to be basically screaming at him.

The Doctor walked down the hallway quickly towards Roses room. His hearts were beating quickly and he found that they stopped when she finally came in sight.

Rose was lying on the floor of the hallway, having almost made it to her bedroom before passing out. The Doctor knelt down beside Rose, immediately assessing her. He cradled her head in his lap, instantly concerned. Roses face was deathly pale and covered in sweat. He felt her forehead and found it was burning like a fire. He tried to shake her awake, but of course, she didn't wake.

Rose was obviously very sick and probably had been for awhile. He inwardly chided himself for not noticing.

The Doctor put his arms under Rose and lifted her up into his arms, carrying her into the infirmary. He laid her on the table and immediately began to scan her for the answer to what was wreaking havoc in her body. Alarm rose in him when he noticed she was not only very dehydrated but her temperature was at a dangerous 40 degrees. Before he could do anything else, he had to address these two serious concerns. He made quick work of getting an IV in Rose's arm that would not only hydrate her but had a fever reducer in it as well. She was out cold and he had no idea of knowing when she would be awake to take anything by mouth. He hoped she would be awake soon but he couldn't take that chance.

He took Rose's jacket off of her and the heavy jumper she had on, leaving her in a thin tank top to help her cool down. Her clothes were covered in sweat and the Doctor suddenly felt consumed with guilt. He should have stayed with her despite the fact that she had said she was fine. He cringed when he thought about how long she might have been laying on the floor unconscious.

The Doctor shook his guilt off as he sprung back into action; guilt would do Rose no good now. What she needed from him now was for him to be her doctor, in the literal sense of the word. With the IV delivering her much needed medication and fluids, the Doctor began to scan her more extensively for the virus or bacteria that was responsible for these symptoms. It didn't take much of an investigation for him to find the cause. Her body was wracked with the Skuparian Flu; her blood was completely flooded with the pathogen. The Doctor shook his head; they had visited Skupar about two weeks ago, helping the primitive people who were just discovering their ability of space travel. The flu wasn't something that was normally very serious, but left untreated it become serious. It normally just manifested human flu symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue and low grade fever. But if left untreated it could cause temperatures to go into the deadly range and could even go to the brain, causing hallucinations and brain damage. By the looks of Rose's symptoms, she had been feeling the normal symptoms for quite some time now. She had done a good job of hiding it from him, though he was not sure why she would want to hide from him. He could have helped her; she shouldn't have had to suffer. He thought of all the running around they had done for the past two weeks and felt guilty; she should have been in bed, letting him help her get well.

But the good news was that Skuparian Flu was relatively easy to treat; the Doctor rushed over to his medicine cabinet and located the correct remedy. The cure for the flu was made from a plant that actually cured many illnesses on several planets and the Doctor was glad that he had some on hand. He filled a syringe with a double dose of the remedy and injected it into Rose, giving her a boost to her healing. He hated that he hadn't know she was sick but now that he did, he would do everything that he could to make her well again.

When Rose's temperature had reduced so that it was no longer life threatening and she had gotten a good dose of fluids, the Doctor lifted her and carried her back to her room. She hadn't woke yet, but she was stirring and when she woke, he wanted her to be in her own bed. He carried her to her room, laying her on top of the covers. She shivered a little in her sleep and while she would want to be under the covers, she didn't need to get too hot; her temperature still had a long way to go down until it was in the healthy range. The Doctor took off Rose's shoes to make her more comfortable and paused as he moved toward the rest of her clothes. A blush came to his cheeks completely unbidden; her jeans and tank top were covered in sweat, causing her to shiver more. Besides, he wanted her to comfortable when she woke up. It was, however, something that crossed a line he had made when it came to Rose. He remained frozen for a few minutes thinking about having to change her clothes. He shook his head and pushed back his straying thoughts. Before he could think more about it, he grabbed a pair of her pyjamas and changed her out of her damp clothes, keeping his eyes closed as much as he could for her privacy.

When Rose was comfortably in her pyjamas, the Doctor got a thin throw from the end of the bed and draped it on Rose from the waist down to keep her warm but not too warm. She moved a little as he sat on the bed beside her and he hoped she would soon open her eyes; though he knew he was doing all he could for her and she would be out of the woods now that he had caught the virus in time, he still wanted nothing more than for her to show him she was alright.

The Doctor leaned against the headboard of the bed and scooted close to Rose. He took a wet washcloth and began to dot along Rose's forehead and cheeks which still burned red from heat. Rose stirred in her sleep and her hand drifted toward him in her sleep. It fell against the Doctor's leg as her face tilted toward him. She looked peaceful...so peaceful. The Doctor brushed her hair out of her face and gazed down at her. Why hadn't he ever seen her like this before? Sleeping, peaceful and completely open?

He was sure she was still asleep and so he allowed himself the chance to do something he never would while she was awake. He lifted her outstretched hand to his lips and kissed her fingertips with a feather light touch. "Sleep well, Rose. My Rose" he whispered to her, settling himself down beside her for the long haul.


	3. Chapter 3

Having your head in the clouds was an expression Rose didn't know could have literal meaning. But she found as she began to come back to consciousness that she felt literally as if her head and body were detached, as if her thoughts and awareness were separated from her body. Her thoughts were slow as if they were in a sludge. She opened her eyes slowly and found herself staring at the ceiling of her room. She hadn't went to sleep here though...so how had she gotten here? She began to panic.

"Doctor! Doctor" she called out, her throat feeling like dry sandpaper. She tried to move but couldn't; he whole body ached. She felt like she had been hit by a truck. Despite that she tried to move and figure out what had happened. She couldn't remember anything very well.

Suddenly though, she felt a hand on her shoulder still her and heard the calming voice of the Doctor beside her. "Shhh...Rose. I'm right here. Don't try to move"

Rose obeyed and immediately fell still on the bed; she hadn't wanted to move anyway and knowing the Doctor was here now meant she was okay. "W-what happened?" she asked weakly. Her voice was so hoarse she could hardly be understood. Her throat burned like it was on fire; she vaguely remembered throwing up but after that she couldn't remember anything.

Rose felt something cold and wet on her lips and looked down to find the Doctor putting a piece of ice to her lips. "Easy" he said so soft it was almost a whisper. "Don't want to make yourself sick"

Rose marveled at how wonderful the tiny bits of water felt as they drifted down his throat. She felt her hot cheeks blush even more when she felt her lips drift past the cold ice to the heat of the Doctor's fingers holding the ice. She pulled back slightly, taking the piece of ice in her mouth and swallowing what was left of it. Already her stomach was churning from the small amount water and she laid back down. Her head was swimming and she suddenly felt like she might fall unconscious again. "W-what...D-d...Doctor..." she found herself stuttering out as her eyes fell closed again. She felt a hand on her cheek, warm but cooler than her own skin.

"Shhh...Rose. Don't fight it. Just go back to sleep. Its alright...I'm here. I wont leave" He cooed to her.

A peace filled Rose at his words. She had been fighting it, unknowingly. But knowing the Doctor was right there with her and wouldn't leave, eased her enough so she could drift off to sleep again.

...

Rose's sleep was not peaceful; her mind drifted through feverish, erratic dreams. Flashes of memories, painful and scary things her mind had held onto, flashed through her consciousness. Rose couldn't understand why her dreams were so terrifying and she felt herself weakly whimpering, even in her sleep. _Make it stop...I just want to rest...make it stop, _her mind called out as she squirmed in her sleep. Pain seeped into her dreams, the sickness she was feeling physically bled into her dreams.

Rose just wanted to wake up, to make the dreams end when suddenly the terror stopped. She could hear a distant sound, a wonderful, magical sound. It was like a song, only better; it was like the words of the best song combined with the most amazing music she had ever heard. It got louder and closer and as it did, it pulled Rose out of the dark place that she was in her mind. Rose clung to it in her sleep, feeling peaceful and calm. She wasn't aware how long she stayed asleep after that; it might have been awhile but it didn't seem like a hardship anymore. With the wonderful song drifting through her mind she was able to get rest.

Eventually, she could feel her muddled mind pulling itself out of sleep and into consciousness. She opened her weary eyes and the bright light stung her eyes. In reality the room was dim but Rose's eyes stung all the same. She turned her head slowly, seeking out the Doctor as she woke. Even the very small movement was enough to make her body protest. She found the Doctor sitting next to her in bed, running a wash cloth over her forehead. The water on the cloth was cold and it made her shiver. She was covered only by a thin blanket and she was freezing.

"' 'M...s...so cold...D-doctor" Rose said weakly as she looked up at the Doctor.

She wasn't expecting the look of concern that passed over his face as gazed down at her. "I know...you have a very high fever. I've been working my best to cool you down"

"B-b-blankets" Rose muttered, her teeth chattering as the cold water stung her face and the skin on the rest of her body bristled with goosebumps. She shivered so hard it hurt.

The Doctor used his free hand to gently push her sweaty hair off her forehead. The movement was so gentle, so loving and it surprised Rose. She began to worry she was really very sick if the Doctor was acting this way. "No, Rose. I'm sorry but your temperature has to go down some more before you can bundle up. Your temperature got up close to 40.5. It was very serious; its gone down now to 39 degrees, but that's still very high. You've been very sick, Rose"

Rose could hear the worry in the Doctor's voice; the temperature would explain why her thoughts were so slow, why she hurt so badly and why she felt so cold it felt as if she would never be warm again. She tried to think, to remember; the last she had remembered she'd been going to bed. But something had happened...what was it? She couldn't quite remember; it all went dark.

"I...I...am?" Rose croaked out. She knew she was sick but the Doctor acted like maybe this was serious. Maybe she was dying or something; she definitely felt like she was dying.

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, Rose" he said grimly. "Rose, why didn't you tell me you were sick?"

Rose's answer was slow as her fevered mind slowly thought up the words that she needed to say. "I...well, it was just the flu, Doctor...I didn't want you to worry." she said. "I knew I'd...get better"

The Doctor looked sad. "Only you wouldn't, Rose." he said. "You wouldn't have gotten better because you didn't have the regular human flu. You had the Skuparian Flu. Remember us going to Skupar a few weeks ago? Well, you must have picked up the flu while we were there. The symptoms are similar to the human flu in the beginning but if you don't get treatment, it can be very serious. It could go to your brain and do serious damage."

Rose felt panic grip at her at those words. Was that why she felt so muddled?Was there something wrong with her mind already? Sudden, intense panic gripped her. Rose hadn't realized the small tear that had slipped out of her eye and began to drift down her face until she felt the Doctor reach over and wipe it away.

"Rose, you're going to be okay" the Doctor soothed, seeing her unspoken distress. "I didn't say that to scare you. I got to you in time. But you didn't tell me, and something really bad could have happened."

Rose's mind was still slow at moving but she was glad to know that it wasn't because she had brain damage or something wrong with her. Her head was still swirling and though she had been sleeping for what she suspected was a long time. Despite her reassure that she was okay, she still felt tears in her eyes. She felt so incredibly tired and everything just _hurt. _She had never felt so badly in all her life. "I'm...I'm sorry" Rose croaked out. "I did mean to hide anything from you. I really did think it was nothing. " Suddenly tears weren't dripping out of Rose's eyes but running down her cheeks as she began to cry softly. She felt like a total idiot but she found that she couldn't stop. She was in too much pain and too sleep deprived to be able to hold back.

"Rose..." the Doctor said, sadness in his voice as he looked down at Rose. "Don't cry. Its alright...please don't cry. You're going to be okay...really. You happen to be in the very capable hands of an experienced Doctor" He said it with his normal tone of jest but Rose didn't stop. She was burning from the inside out, her pain the only thing she could feel. She wanted to go back to sleep and drift into that calming music of her dream again.

"Oh, Rose..." The Doctor said gently. Rose's eyes were closed, her head against the Doctor when she suddenly felt movement. She felt the Doctor's hands under her as he lifted her up onto his lap. Rose's eyes popped open as she looked up at him, her weary head supported by the Doctor's arm. For a moment she wondered if she was delirious; surely the Doctor wasn't really holding her in his lap, gazing down at her with such unguarded care for her in his eyes. "W-w...what?" She started to ask, before her tired eyes shut again. "I must...be dreaming"

The Doctor chuckled lightly. "This is hardly a dream" he said softly. "But you need to be dreaming. We can talk about this when you are a little more ready" The Doctor used his free hand to push her hair out of her face.

Rose could already feel herself going back to sleep at the Doctor's gentle permission to do so. "I...I...was having such a...nice dream. There was singing...and it was so...calm" she said slowly. She wasn't even sure she was making sense.

Rose was almost asleep, cradled against the Doctor, warm and safe, when she heard him speak. "Just go onto sleep Rose...I have a feeling that if you do, your dream will start again"

And as usual, the Doctor was right. As she went to sleep, the wonderful, strange song made her feel calm and at peace as she drifted into dreamland.


	4. Chapter 4

The Doctor looked down at Rose in his lap as she slept, her pale face calm and quiet as he sang to her in her sleep. As the Gallifreyan words slid off his tongue he could only hope that Rose was too feverish to remember any of this when she woke. He was normally so closed off; he made sure he was to save himself from the pain and loss that he knew would inevitably come. But when he had seen her lying on the floor, passed out and with her body riddled with alien disease, he had thought he might be too late. He was so relieved to have to her with him that he would let down his barriers, if only for these few moments.

With his free hand, he ran his fingers along her cheek, singing for as long as his voice would allow him. Rose looked so peaceful in her sleep, so vulnerable. She turned in her sleep toward him, her hand reaching out for him, coming to rest on his chest. His arm was numb where all of Rose's weight was resting on it but he didn't care. She looked so restful he couldn't bear to move her. She could probably sleep for days before she made up the rest that she had lost running around while her illness was zapping her strength. Besides, he imagined he could sit here and watch her sleep forever and never get bored.

It was much later when he finally decided to move; he knew Rose needed more medicine and fluids and he could feel the need for rest himself. He slowly and reluctantly slid out from under Rose, laying her gently on the bed. She stirred but didn't wake and he was glad for that. He pulled the covers up to her waist, planning to cover her shivering form once he had given her some more medicine. He went to the infirmary and fixed an IV for Rose; she flinched in her sleep when he inserted the needle in her arm but she quickly went back to sleep. With the medication and fluids coursing through her body, the Doctor pulled the covers up to her neck and felt himself relax.

Knowing he had done all that he could do for her now, the Doctor pulled his shoes and jacket off. He lay on the bed beside Rose, turned toward her, watching her chest rise and fall, her breath even. He watched her in her sleep until his own eyes began to drift downward and sleep claimed him as well.

...

Rose's eyes fluttered open as she began to wake. She was instantly aware that she was stiff and as she began to stretch her muscles ached in protest. She knew that she must have been asleep for a long time unmoving. But even though she was stiff and achy she was also instantly aware that she felt much better than she had when she had went to sleep. Her head still hurt but it didn't nearly feel as foggy. Her stomach still ached but she didn't feel like vomiting with every move that she made. Her throat was sore but she didn't feel as parched and she wasn't shivering like she had been before. There were blankets all around her and she felt pleasantly warm.

Rose opened her eyes and looked around the room, wanting to locate the Doctor. He was sitting on the other side of the bed, his glasses perched on his nose as he read a thick book with circular, twisty symbols on the front of it. She turned over in bed towards him, her arm protesting. She lifted it up to find an IV stuck into it; she moved it more gently as she turned over toward the Doctor. He was so immersed in whatever it was that he was reading he didn't notice her for a moment; he was uncharacteristically laid back, his jacket off, his shirt sleeves pulled up, a look of concentration in his eyes behind his glasses. Rose felt a little dizzy as she looked at him in bed beside her; she didn't think she could blame it entirely on the fact that she was sick.

A few moments later the Doctor noticed Rose was awake. He put down his book and, unfortunately, removed his glasses. "Rose...you're awake" he said, a smile coming across his face. "How are you feeling?"

She was still feeling pretty lousy; she ached and hurt all over but she was doing much better. "I still feel like a car ran me over" she said. "But still, much better than I was feeling" She held up her hand with the IV in it. "I take it I was pretty bad off"

The Doctor waved a hand of dismissal even though Rose was sure that he was a playing it off as less than what it was. "Nah...you needed sleep but you also needed medicine and fluids. I didn't want to wake you up to give your medicine and keep you hydrated so this was the best way to get you everything you needed. And see? It worked...you're feeling much better right?"

Now that Rose's head was cleared a bit of the fever, she could tell that the Doctor was downplaying how serious it had been. She went along with it anyway. "Yeah...yeah I'm feeling better. Well, somewhat..." she said. She burrowed into the blankets. "I suppose my fever went down? Since you gave me my blankets back" he looked up at him with a smile.

The Doctor smiled down at her. "Yes" he said. His smiled faded a bit. "When I found you...your temperature was a dangerous 40 degrees" He looked sad for a moment but then he quickly recovered. He grinned at her. "But you're down to 37.7 now. I figured it was the least I could do to give you some blankets" He smoothed the covers around her in a loving motion. "Are you warm enough?"

Rose smiled, feeling wrapped in the blankets like a burrito. "Yes...I'm definitely warm enough" she said. She closed her eyes for a second as she enjoyed the warmth around her, her head still swimming a bit. She vaguely remembered the conversation she had had last night, about how sick she had been. She really had thought she had the flu and that it would run its course; had she known that she was seriously ill, she would have told him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Doctor" she said finally, looking up at him.

The Doctor looked down at Rose, a mix of a smile and sadness on his face. "I was worried about you Rose" he said. "When I came back from the Aboron's party and found you passed out on the floor..." he paused, closing his eyes for a minute before looking at her again. "I was so worried about you. I shouldn't have left you last night. I should have stayed with you"

Rose started to shake her head but stopped when it caused pain to shoot through him. "I told you to leave...it was my fault for trying to play it off"

"I shouldn't have" The Doctor said. "I knew something was wrong. I ignored my gut feeling and I never do that...it never works out for me. Didn't this time either" He looked sad again but pulled out of it quick as he gave her a smile. "But you're alright now...that's the important part."

Rose smiled up at him; despite the fact that she felt really terrible, there were some perks to it. The Doctor was showing more open care for her than he ever had before. "I'm sorry I scared you" she said. "I really did just think it was the flu and that it would go away"

"It could be anything out here" The Doctor said. "You've been lucky so far out in our travels, but Rose...there's so many things that you get out here. Even if it seems like no big deal, you really need to tell me so I can fix it"

Rose nodded again, pain hurting her swirling head before she remembered not to move her head. "Alright" Rose said slowly. "I'll tell you next time" she looked up and gave him a sly smile. "You know, though I was just trying to do what you do"

The Doctor looked confused. "What's that?" he asked.

"I was just doing that thing where you pretend you're alright when you're really not" Rose joked weakly despite the sickness that was racking her body.

The Doctor gave her a puzzled look. "I don't do that" he said defensively.

Rose smiled at him. "Yes you do, Doctor" she said, "You always said you're alright"

"I am always alright" he said firmly. He gave Rose a glance out of the corner of his eye and they both knew he was lying. He gave her a hard look but it failed with in a second as he joined Rose in laughing.

"You're such a liar" Rose said, holding her hands around her middle, pain shooting through her from the small movement of her laughter.

"Yeah, you're the one to talk" the Doctor jibbed. Rose could see him relax slightly and knew he had still been holding onto worry over her condition. Silence passed for a few seconds before the Doctor leaned over Rose to the bedside table and grabbed a small, glass bottle. He poured a dark green vile looking liquid from it into a small cup. Rose scrunched up her nose at the horrible smelling medicine. "Is that my punishment" Rose asked with a lopsided smile toward the Doctor.

The Doctor chuckled. "You can look at it that way" he said. "But believe it or not this will actually help you out a lot" The Doctor put his arm under Rose's head and helped her sit up enough to drink the disgusting medicine. She was glad when, a second after swallowing the terrible medicine, the Doctor had a cup of water at her lips, helping her wash down the taste and helping her parched throat. When she was done drinking, the Doctor helped Rose lie back down again. The small movement of sitting up alone had left her feeling more tired and Rose wondered how long she was going to be put up in bed. As she looked up at the Doctor though , she mused that it could have been much worse.


	5. Chapter 5

"Is there anything else you need right now, Rose?" The Doctor asked as he put the glasses of medicine and water on the table.

Rose was warm and sleepy under the covers and she didn't want to move. But her stomach was beginning to protest loudly; a deep aching pain was shooting through her lower stomach and she knew she had to force herself out of bed soon or the consequences would be dire. "No" Rose said, "I just need to use the restroom...then I'll be alright" Rose ached all over and as she pushed herself up in bed, her head swam. She swayed a little sitting in bed and the Doctor swooped in on her quickly.

"Here, I'll help you" He said helpfully, putting an arm around her. Rose waved a hand towards him; surely she could make it to the bathroom unassisted. She didn't want to believe that she was that utterly helpless. "I can do it myself" she said weakly.

"Are you sure? You look awful pale" the Doctor said cautiously as he backed off.

Rose sat up in bed, her head swimming dizzily. Honestly she was beginning to feel the need to get to the bathroom growing quite desperate, making her stomach feel nauseous. "Yes...I'm fine" Rose said weakly as she pushed the covers back and swung her feet over the side of the bed, gathering her strength. Rose looked down at the floor and breathed deeply to gather the necessary strength to get up and make it the short distance to the bathroom. She noticed her clothes from the past night lying in a pile on the floor and gave herself a once over, noticing for the first time the pyjamas that she was dressed in.

Despite the horrible pain shooting through her at the moment, she felt her face turn red as the revelation came over her. She imagined the Doctor changing her clothes her face turned an even darker shade of scarlet as she tried to remember what she had had on under her clothes. She mentally chided herself as she realized a second later that he had probably changed her clothes because she had vomit on them.

"Rose?" The Doctor questioned her at the long pause. Rose was brought out of her embarrassing line of thought at his voice. "You sure you're alright?"

"I'm perfectly fine" Rose said, pushing up from the bed quickly. She tried to move toward the door quickly but a minute later her dizzy head was causing her to stumble. She was not surprised when she felt the Doctor's arm around her waist in less than a second. "I thought we just clarified that lies could be dangerous" The Doctor said dangerously close to her ear.

Rose's knees went weak and she was suddenly glad that he was there to catch her. "Don't even start...you'd do the same thing" she said with weak humor.

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah...you're probably right about that...assuming that my superior physiology betrayed me in the way that yours is now"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Because you never get sick, right?" she asked.

"Have you ever seen me sick?" The Doctor asked in a slightly offended tone.

"I seem to remember a certain Christmas where you were rather bad off" Rose said. She was joking, but even now the memory of how worried she had been when his regeneration had gone badly was enough to pull at her heart.

"That doesn't count...regeneration is not an illness" the Doctor quickly shot back. He led Rose toward the door and to the bathroom. It was such a short distance but Rose was so incredibly weak and dizzy she didn't know if she would make it to the bathroom without passing out. For her belly's sake she hoped that she was at least able to use the restroom before succumbing again to unconsciousness.

Rose stumbled along, leaning heavily on the Doctor. As much as she had wanted to appear stronger than she was, she was now glad to have his support. Right now walking was just so difficult. In fact, everything right now was pretty difficult.

Rose was relieved when they reached the bathroom door and the Doctor let go of his hold on Rose as she reached for the doorknob, swaying a little. The Doctor hung close to her, his face unsure. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked. "Do you need any help...in there?" His face showed he was willing to help but he was obviously mortified at the idea; Rose couldn't blame him. She didn't want him to be witness to the disaster that she felt coming on in the bathroom.

"No" Rose said quickly but with a smile. "No, I can take it from here" Feeling her stomach demand to be ignored no longer, she pushed through the door with sudden speed, hearing the Doctor only briefly behind her, "Alright, I'll just...uh...be out here...if you need anything"

Rose was later quite sure that the Doctor had no idea what exactly he was getting himself into by promising to be available while she was in the bathroom. She wasn't sure how much time had passed while she had been in there but she knew that it had been a long time. It was at least a half hour when the Doctor finally broke down from his silence. There was a knock at the bathroom door, followed by the Doctor's questioning tone behind the door. "Rose? You've been in there an awful long while. Are you okay?"

Rose wrapped her arms around her middle, cramps racking her body as her body rebelled against the disease inside it. She felt clammy and unwell as she had broken into a cold sweat and her head swayed; she feared she might just fall into the floor.

The Doctor had said that the awful concoction of medicine that he had given her would help her feel better and she was waiting for that to true anytime now. "No..." Rose muttered out to the Doctor's question. She felt her head swaying .

"Do...you need me to...come in?" The Doctor's voice spoke volumes into the fact he had hoped she said no. While Rose wasn't okay by any means, she didn't want him to come in until she was little more composed.

"No...that's alright. I'm almost done in here" Rose said weakly, hoping that was true and she could go back to sleep. Several minutes later Rose emerged from the bathroom, feeling weak and dizzy. The Doctor's face showed alarm when he saw Rose come out of the bathroom.

"Rose...let's get you back to bed" the Doctor said, putting his arm around her and helping her toward the bedroom. Rose's head felt like it was constantly spinning and she was glad when they reached the bedroom. Rose collapsed onto the bed heavily, closing her eyes against the dizzying sensation. She opened them again seconds later when she felt the covers moving around her; she looked up to see the Doctor leaning down and tucking the covers around her. "Are...are you tucking me in?" Rose asked, a smile turning at her lips despite the terrible way she felt.

The Doctor shook his head. "No...I'm not tucking you in" he said even though he was in fact tucking the covers around her protectively like she hadn't had done to her since she was a child.

"Of course I'm not tucking you in. You're a fully capable adult...you don't need me tucking you"

Rose smiled more at his denial even though it was obvious that he was actually tucking her in. He couldn't admit such a thing; it almost sounded domestic. "Then what are you doing?" Rose asked jokingly.

Rose didn't miss the slight blush that crept up his cheeks. "I'm simply making sure the blankets are close enough to you that they keep you warm" he said, trying to talk his way out of it as usual.

Rose could have pushed him more, but she didn't want him to stop, so she closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the loving gesture. By the time that the Doctor had finished tucking the covers around Rose, her eyes were heavy and she was almost asleep. She could feel fatigue and illness dragging her under the veil of unconsciousness as the Doctor sat down on the edge of the bed beside her. "Anything I can get you?" he asked gently.

"No" Rose said sleepily. "I'm fine" She was almost asleep when she felt the bed move as the Doctor stood up.

The small amount of movement was enough to make Rose realize that he was leaving and she didn't want him to. "Stay" he said, her voice barely a whisper through her drowsiness and sore throat.

"What?" The Doctor asked. His voice was surprised. Rose didn't know open her eyes.

"Please stay with me" Rose said. She would never have asked such a thing if she was in the right mind; the fever must have been making her delirious. She reached her hand out of the cold covers, reaching for what ,she didn't know. She felt a smile come to her face when she felt the Doctor's hand connect with her own.

His fingers wrapped around her hand and gave a reassuring squeeze. "Alright, I'll stay" he said in a quiet voice. Rose felt the bed move as the Doctor let go of her hand and sat on the bed beside her. Rose turned toward him in bed, her hand reaching out toward him again. She felt his fingers intertwine between her own. She felt her body give a violent shake as she shivered beneath the covers.

"Cold?" the Doctor asked, noticing the shiver. Rose simply nodded.

"I'll go get you another blanket" the Doctor said as he went to go get another blanket but Rose held tight to his hand.

"Stay" Rose said, her head swirling. "Warm me up"

"What?" the Doctor asked in slight confusion.

"Warm me up...you..." Rose said as sleep tried to claim her. Rose would feel embarrassed at it when she woke up but for right now she was cold and in pain, damaging her judgment. She didn't have much time to think about it or be embarrassed before the covers beside her moved. Rose's eyes opened just enough that she could see the Doctor, sliding under the covers beside her. He smiled softly at her and Rose felt her already red cheeks grow deeper. "Roll over" he said gently, giving her a smile. With a great amount of effort, Rose managed to roll over so that her back was to the Doctor. A moment later she felt the Doctor's arms wrap around her and pull her to him. As her back connected with the Doctor's chest, she felt immediate warmth spread over her. Her shivering stopped at once and she let out a small, involuntary sigh slip out of her mouth. It was a position that she never thought she would be in and even though she was sicker than she had ever been, she still felt like she must still be in a dream.


	6. Chapter 6

The Doctor held Rose close to himself as she slept ,her face calm in her sleep. She felt so soft and so warm, too warm because of her fever, but she was next to him and he couldn't help but feel something deep inside him stir. It was that thing inside him that he didn't let get into his head very often ,the thing that urged him to get closer to Rose. He denied it and fought to bury it but no matter how hard he tried, it never seemed to work. He couldn't let himself get closer to her; she was his companion and for right now that just had to be enough. He had a way of destroying people and the closer that he got to her the more risk that became involved. He didn't want to hurt her….or himself…..so he remained distant. Not that that was easy either; but if it protected her, even a tiny little bit, he'd do it.

So for now, even though he would have to distance himself when she awoke, the Doctor held her close. He laid his head against her shoulder, the sweet scent of her hair in his nose, the feel of her hot cheek against his skin. He would never allow himself to hold her this close when she was well and it wasn't a good idea now, he knew. He told himself it was justified because she was sick and needed comfort; but either way he was glad for an excuse to do something he had wanted to do for a long time.

"I love you, Rose" The Doctor whispered against Rose's ear, his lips against her skin. "My precious Rose"

...

Rose woke up slowly, her eyes fuzzy as she opened them. She was aware instantly that she felt much better; in fact she almost felt normal. Her head ached a little and her throat was a little dry but other than that she felt a world better. She curled comfortably into a fetal position under the blankets, feeling warm and content. She didn't feel like her body was being destroyed by fever anymore. As her mind came to wakefulness, Rose remembered how wonderfully warm and protected she had felt under the covers against the Doctor, him cradling her to him. Instinctively, Rose reached out under the covers for the Doctor but didn't feel him in the bed anymore. She opened her eyes fully and looked around the room, finding the Doctor sitting on the floor tinkering with a piece of machinery, little pieces of metal strewn across the floor. Rose was a little disappointed that he wasn't still next to her but not at all surprised; he avoided intimacy in all forms and he had probably moved away from her the second that she had fallen asleep. Either way, Rose was grateful the Doctor had indulged her need for contact last night. Perhaps it was best that he wasn't still next to her; it might have been awkward, too awkward, now that she was no longer close to delirium.

After a few minutes of staring her time lord, intent on his thoughts and focused on the task, the Doctor noticed Rose was awake. "Ah! Good! You're awake!" He said with enthusiasm, tossing his machine aside and moving to Rose's side, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Feeling any better?"

Rose gave the Doctor a small smile. "I am actually" she said. "I'm starting to feel human again"

The Doctor gave her a wide smile. "Good" he said. "I knew you were tough….no Skuparian flu can take you down" He took his sonic out and scanned Rose briefly. "Perfect!" he said in excitement. "Temperature is at 37 degrees….almost normal again" He grabbed the glass bottle of vile looking medicine off the bedside table and poured a small does. "A few more of these and you should be good as new"

"I hope it's only a few more" Rose said, crinkling her nose at the nasty medicine. She pushed herself up slightly in the bed and took the medicine followed by a quick drink of water. As the Doctor took the glasses back, Rose pushed herself all the way up in bed, glad to see that it didn't cause her to feel dizzy or nauseous. "How long have I been asleep?" she asked.

"Well, you've woken a few times, but in total it's been three days since we left Aboron" the Doctor said.

Rose's eyes widened. "I've basically been asleep for three days?" she asked in surprise.

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah…..but one of the best things you can do to get better is sleep"

Rose nodded, lost in thought. She thought about the weird dreams that her fever had produced, the horrible nightmares and the wonderfully calm song she heard later in her sleep that had calmed her and made her sleep peaceful. She also thought about a certain time lord by her side that had made her sleep so much better. She blushed a little when she thought about how much affection she had sought from him in her illness but smiled when she thought about the fact that he hadn't turned her away. There was at least one perk of being sick.

Rose and the Doctor were brought out of their separate musings by a sudden loud rumbling sound coming from Rose's stomach. The Doctor looked at her quickly and Rose felt her face turn red before they both began to burst into laughter. "So…..I take it you're a little hungry?" the Doctor asked with a laugh.

Rose put her hands on her stomach; she had been so ill and nauseous but the feeling in her stomach now wasn't that at all. It felt a little foreign but she was actually hungry. "Yes…..a little I guess" she admitted a bit sheepish, embarrassed at how demanding her stomach was.

"How about I go get you some soup?" the Doctor said. "Don't want to test your stomach too much yet but it'll be good to start getting some food in you"

"That sounds good" Rose said, giving the Doctor a small smile. As he was about to get up from the bed and go to the kitchen, Rose reached out with her impulsiveness again and grab the Doctor into a deep hug. He seemed surprised but hugged her back warmly.

"What's this for?" he asked with a grin. "Not that I'm complaining"

"For being such a good Doctor" Rose said, her face against his shoulder. "For taking care of me when I obviously was in way over my head." She pulled back and looked into his eyes. "And for singing to me" she said with a knowing look.

She was pleased when she saw a small blush on his cheeks. "Anything for you, Rose"

**That's the end of "I'm Always Alright". Thank you sooooooo much for reading and reviewing :) I appricate you all taking your time to read my story and I hope you really enjoyed it. **


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